330 MEDICAL SECTION 



father. After the woman has finished wet-nursing, 

 she finds her a position with the baby if possible, and 

 if not finds a suitable home for the baby where the 

 mother can see it daily. She keeps in close touch 

 with the mother and helps her in every way possible. 



Summary. The wet-nurse problem can be solved 

 by establishing such a Directory as has been outlined 

 above. It is probable that such an institution can 

 become self-supporting. The secret of success lies in 

 widely advertising the fact that wet-nurses can be 

 obtained quickly, and in giving the prospective wet- 

 nurse a place where she can live without expense 

 until she obtains a position. Infant mortality can 

 be lowered from about 90 per cent, to a minimum by 

 insisting that they are not separated. The Directory 

 for Wet-nurses gives these babies an opportunity 

 in life which they could not get otherwise, and makes 

 it possible to save the lives of many babies that would 

 otherwise have died. 



DISCUSSION. 



Dr. BREITMANN (Russian Medical Press) said that the 

 cause of infantile mortality was artificial feeding, and ii 

 Russia the death-rate was similar to that which they g< 

 with soldiers in war. 



The CHAIRMAN asked why there was such a high mor- 

 tality in Moscow and St. Petersburg. 



Dr. BREITMANN said the chief cause was the bad milk. 

 If they took the text-books on infant feeding almost ever 

 author aired his own method and criticized the methods ol 

 others, and many physicians used patent foods, not one ol 

 which had the composition of human milk or cow's mill 

 He did not recommend any special method, but wished t< 

 be individual in every case. 



Dr. HELEN MACMURCHY (Toronto) said she was special!] 

 interested in the paper of Dr. Talbot, firstly because ii 

 seemed to her that the nursing of the child by the mothe 

 was a thing they had not appreciated. She was so intereste< 

 to hear Dr. Talbot say that the work of providing wel 

 nurses in Boston by an organization had also turned out t( 

 be the basis of a great social work. They were always 



